Tonight the NFL released a statement clarifying its policy on player usage of Twitter and other social media sites on game days. In short, the policy allows players to use social media sites up to 90 minutes before kickoff and again after post-game media interviews. Players and game day personnel are prohibited from using social media sites while the game is in progress.

The full release from the NFL office is below:

The NFL informed clubs today that coaches, players and football operations personnel are permitted under league policy and with club permission to use social media on game day during specific time periods before and after games.League policy allows for the use of social media or networking sites (including Twitter and Facebook) by players, coaches and football operations personnel up to 90 minutes before kickoff and after the game following media interviews.

The use of these sites by these individuals is not permitted during the game, including halftime. No updates are permitted to be posted by the individual himself or anyone representing him during this prohibited time on his personal Twitter, Facebook or any other social media account.

The use of social media by NFL game officials and officiating department personnel is prohibited at any time.
Longstanding policies prohibiting play-by-play descriptions of NFL games in progress apply fully to Twitter and other social media platforms. Internet sites may not post detailed information that approximates play-by-play during a game. While a game is in progress, any forms of accounts of the game must be sufficiently time-delayed and limited in amount (e.g., score updates with detail given only in quarterly game updates) so that the accredited organization’s game coverage cannot be used as a substitute for, or otherwise approximate, authorized play-by-play accounts.

Any use of social media during games by the public relations or website staff on an official club platform must be consistent with the play-by-play policy described above.

The NFL’s security department has been successful assisting players in removing fake sites on Facebook and Twitter. Players or other NFL employees who believe they are victims of identity theft by people impersonating them on social media sites are advised to contact the NFL’s security department.

The growth of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has created important new ways for the NFL and clubs to communicate and connect with fans. The NFL has been at the forefront of the use of new media and will continue to emphasize innovative and appropriate use of these new forms of communication.

The bolded sentence in the second paragraph prohibits others from using social media sites on behalf of the players, a policy which seemingly eliminates any possibility of Chad Ochocinco’s rumored fan-Tweeting-for-him-during-games talk.

It has been a whirlwind couple of days for the NCAA’s Southeastern Conference, the SEC.

On Sunday, St. Petersburg Times reporter Michael Kruse wrote an article detailing the SEC’s new social media policy. Kruse wrote that this new policy placed “increasingly stringent limits” on how conference schools could use social media. The real outrage, Kruse wrote, was that the policy seemingly governed fan behavior at SEC stadiums as well.

Kruse wrote that fans were prohibited from “updating Twitter feeds…posting [photos] on Facebook and Flickr…and taking videos and putting them on YouTube.” In short, the policy prohibited fans from using social media while watching SEC games.

Word spread quickly through Twitter and other sites after the popular social networking blog Mashable picked up the story on Monday. Fans were outraged.

This afternoon the SEC released a revised policy. The policy states:

No Bearer may produce or disseminate in any form a “real-time” description or transmission of
the Event (i) for commercial or business use, or (ii) in any manner that constitutes, or is intended
to provide or is promoted or marketed as, a substitute for radio, television or video coverage of
such Event. 

Personal messages and updates of scores or other brief descriptions of the
competition throughout the Event are acceptable. If the SEC deems that a Bearer is producing a
commercial or real-time description of the Event, the SEC reserves the right to pursue all
available remedies against the Bearer.

This means that fans are indeed allowed to post photos online and tweet during games. The policy does prohibit fans from posting or streaming videos of game action during the game but most fans will be happy they can continue to use their favorite social media sites during games.

SEC Associate Commissioner of Media Relations Charles Bloom clarified the revised statement in an interview with Kathleen Hessert of Charlotte based Sports Media Challenge this afternoon. He said:

“The intent of the revised policy is not to inhibit social media inside our stadiums with the exception of trying to protect our video rights as they pertain to our television and media partners. Someone in the stadium can enter Twitter feeds or Facebook entries and photographs, but the game footage video is something we will try to protect.”

Bloom answered questions about the intent of the original policy and how fan reaction shaped the revised policy. Check out the Sports Media Challenge blog for the full interview.

This incident raises several interesting questions about sports and social media. A few questions to ponder:

• What can we learn from the story of the SEC and social media?
• How much of a role did fan reaction play in the revised policy?
• Do you think this will continue to be an issue for sports organizations? Why or why not?
• How do you think teams and organizations will enact social media policies in the future?

What do you think of the situation? Have your say in the comments!

It’s Madden 10 release day!

We’re doing something that we think will help fellow Madden players: we’re creating a directory of Madden players on Twitter. Please leave a comment with your gamertag, Twitter ID and which system you own. You can also include your experience level with the game (rookie, vet, looking to play with specific settings, etc.) Thank you and enjoy the game!

Xbox 360 Players

- DaveC3 ( @davec3 )
- Deborrum ( @deborum )
- luna3015 ( @dopenose )
- Maxvision ( @darrwin )
- NatureBoy2323 ( @natureboy2323 )
- Raczilla ( @raczilla ) – Madden Community Manager at EA Sports
- sn0w13allz ( @sn0w13allz ) (zero in name)
- sojiggy420

PS3 Players

- agentspectre ( @jlynnb1 )
- coyote51
- k1mb3rly ( @k1mb3rly )
- NatureBoy2323 ( @natureboy2323 )
- nwa327 ( @blacksuperman27 )
- pkcrazie ( @RossMiles )
- qroze ( @fatony )
- tumidanski ( @jtumidanski )

Here’s the Outside the Lines segment on athletes on Twitter in case you missed it.

Good morning! My name is Brendan Wilhide and I created Sportsin140.com in March, 2009. You’ve probably found my site this morning because of the “Outside the Lines” feature on athletes on Twitter.

Here are some quick reference links:

• If you’re looking for my directory of athletes, teams, colleges and universities and sports media on Twitter, please click here or on the “Complete List” tab at the top of the page.
• If you’re looking for my interviews with some of the biggest names in the sports industry on Twitter, feel free to browse the site via the search box to the right or by clicking one of the tags in any post. You will find interviews with top league and team executives from across the country that focus on their Twitter presence and what they see as the future of the sports industry in social media.
• If you would like to contact me with comments or questions about the site, you may do so by clicking here.

Thank you again for checking out the site and I hope this will be your first of many visits to Sportsin140.com.